Resource Type: Research & Articles

As the founding Director of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (a non-profit) transitions out of leadership, he shares reflections and resources related to cultural strategy and responding to the question, how might we build creative people-power to respond to the social and ecological crises of our times and to advance practices, narratives, and policies for a more liberatory world?

This issue of The Forge explores the role of narrative in shifting the balance of power and building a more equitable society. Authors talked to thirteen organizers across the progressive movement about how the current moment has created an opening to challenge the dominant neoliberal narrative and introduce transformative ways of seeing the world. Two of these interviews are with climate movement leaders: Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, talked about her work with low-income Asian immigrants and the possibility of replacing the extractive economy with a regenerative one, and Annie Leonard, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA and founder of the Story of Stuff, discussed the ways capitalism and an ideology of exploitation lead to climate change — and how environmentalists are changing their strategies to build power.
 
 

This case study summarizes some of the key points from NY Renews’ evidence-based approach to winning the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act, pulling from interviews with organizers and advocates, coalition documents, and news coverage.

A multi-racial coalition focused on organizing and escalating tactics helped defeat the Williams Pipeline: The Stop the Williams Pipeline coalition won by building, organizing, and activating a large and intense base of opposition targeted at the key decision-maker, Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

At least 7 in 10 New Jerseyans support each of the six key components of the Clean Energy Equity Act, a bill that aims to help low-income New Jersey families benefit from solar, storage and energy efficiency.